We celebrated the first day of Summer yesterday

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We celebrated the first day of Summer yesterday

23.04.2010
| Oddný Björg Halldórsdóttir

In the old days we had only two seasons, summer and winter. Therefore we are a bit early celebrating the summer. It was a beautiful day, a bit chilly but the sun was shining. So according to our calendar it is summer in Iceland.

The Aviation Authorities in Iceland have announced that, in light of the ash distribution forecast for Friday 23 April, the flight zone around Keflavik and Reykjavik Airports is expected to close down for a certain period of time. Passengers are asked to monitor flight schedules closely on travel industry web sites. Ash distribution is not expected to affect the International Airports in Akureyri or Egilsstaðir, which will remain open to all air traffic.

For the most part Icelandic airports have remained opened throughout the Eyjafjallajökull eruption, but due to change in wind direction the ash plume is expected to have an effect on the two large airports in the southwest of the country.

Day-to-day life not affected

Day-to-day life in Iceland goes on as usual, as the immediate effects of the volcanic eruption remain for the most part localized - limited to an area in the south of Iceland. Businesses and public services have remained open and all infrastructures, such as electricity and communications networks, remain secure.

Although the volcano poses no safety threat to people in Iceland, visitors are nevertheless encouraged to follow developments and seek factual information from the relevant authorities.

Prepared and alert

Icelanders are resilient people who have learned to live in harmony with the forces of nature. The civil protection and emergency management authorities in Iceland are prepared, alert, and effective and have the situation at the eruption site well under control. Icelandic scientists and civil emergency authorities have also been in close contact with their counterparts in Europe to monitor the eruption.

Since there has been some discussion regarding the volcano Katla, it is important to note that there is no indication of an eruption there. Katla is closely monitored by scientists. In their expert opinion there is no indication of an eruption since there is no movement in sites to the west and east of the glacier Mýrdalsjökull. Eyjafjallajökull and Katla are two separate volcanoes – with two separate magma chambers – and are not connected as such.

Air traffic

The ash hurled into the atmosphere by the eruption has caused serious disruption of air traffic in northern Europe. Icelandic scientists and public authorities, the Meteorological Institution and the Icelandic Civil Aviation Administration, remain in close contact with their counterparts in Europe in order to monitor the eruption, the weather conditions and the projected path of the volcanic ash cloud. People are encouraged to monitor the news and contact their travel agents if their flights are canceled.

Passengers flying to or from Iceland are advised to follow updated travel information on the following web pages:

Daily briefings at the press centres

The Civil Emergency Authorities arranges for daily briefings at 8:00 at the press centres in Reykjavik and Hvolsvollur. The briefings will include a general status update, as well as brief updates from a geophysicist and a meteorologist. The address in Reykjavik is Skogarhlid 14. The address at Hvolsvollur is Dufthaksbraut 10. You will find the latest press releases on their web-sites...Read more

All Infrastructures SecureIcelandic infrastructure is prepared for earthquakes and volcanic activitiy so all systems are designed to withstand natural calamities.

Transmission of Electricity:Transmission of Electricity is secure and has not been affected by the volcanic activity. Developments in the volcanic activity are being followed closely, with a maintenance team ready to respond to any events if needed. The electrical transmission network in Iceland is circular with all power plants directly connected to the main grind. Thus in case of a transmission failure a backup power is always available from the other side to the rest of the island.

Communication:The main telecommunications network is extremely robust and based on two main systems. It is designed with redundancy for both equipment and power and also incorporates backup routes for critical traffic.

Míla‘s Optical Fiber Cable, that carries almost all national and international telecommunication traffic, is secure. The design for the backhaul connections for the submarine cables connecting Iceland to the mainland takes into consideration necessary backup routes in case of Fiber Cable damage.